This elegant little stone house overlooking the Spanish Mediterranean coast is much more than what meets the eye. To get around the strict building size regulations, <a href="http://www.enproyecto.es/arquitectura.html">Enproyecto Arquitectura</a> designed the Refugio en La Vall de Laguar as an agriculture building with small living spaces both above and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/stunning-swiss-house-is-buried-under-the-earth/">below ground </a>. Walls become storage, the benches on the patio are light shafts for the downstairs bedrooms and along with the subterranean rooms an extensive <a href="http://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-green-roofed-black-sheep-house-in-scotland-looks-out-to-sea/">dry stacked stone wall</a> keeps the home cool on a hot summer afternoon.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

Located on the outskirts of a small agricultural village, the house is surrounded by cherry fields and graces a sweeping view of the coast.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

Zoning only allowed a 25 square meter building, usually for tool storage, and a 50 square meter underground cistern so most of the house is actually <a href="http://inhabitat.com/6-fascinating-underground-homes-that-go-above-and-beyond/">subterranean</a>.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

A studio, bath, and bedroom make up the lower living space and are lit by two clever <a href="http://inhabitat.com/velux-sunlighthouse-is-austrias-first-net-zero-energy-and-carbon-house/">skylights</a> that double as benches on the adjacent patio/roof.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

The main floor is a simple open space with kitchen at one end and living room which opens to the views at the other.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

Tucked under the shed roof is a small bedroom loft.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

While simple is design the home gets high mark for the refined finishes.

A thick wall is actually <a href="http://inhabitat.com/incredible-transforming-lego-apartment-packs-4-rooms-into-1/">storage units </a>where the inset window becomes a small alcove.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

The exterior is made from dry stacked locally sourced stone which integrates the home into the sparse landscape, full of old stone walls.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

The thick walls allow windows to be smartly inset to the interior with steel frames wrapped by the stone, cutting off the hot daytime sun.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

The stone also absorbs daytime heat and reemits it at night, regulating the interiors temperature through the year.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

The perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine overlooking the Spanish Mediterranean.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

Refugio en La Vall de Laguar sections.

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Refugio en La Vall de Laguar

This elegant little stone house overlooking the Spanish Mediterranean coast is much more than what meets the eye. To get around the strict building size regulations, Enproyecto Arquitectura designed the Refugio en La Vall de Laguar as an agriculture building with small living spaces both above and below ground . Walls become storage, the benches on the patio are light shafts for the downstairs bedrooms and along with the subterranean rooms an extensive dry stacked stone wall keeps the home cool on a hot summer afternoon.